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Tuesday, 7 July 2015

I've been having a great few months being a crafty soul - but that has meant I've got very slack at documenting what I do, especially blogging. So I'm going to take a little short cut and summarise my Q2 Finish Along and link up with Adrianne at 'On the Windy Side'. I know doing it this way will mean I'm not eligible for the prizes (that's fine by me) but it does mean I know unto myself that I have completed some goals.

So here goes my summary...1. My Double Wedding Ring Quilt in blues for our master bed - not finished, but I have the quilt top in one piece (yay!) and have all the necessary pieces procurred to continue and finish in the next quarter!

2. Flats' Pluses - not touched!

3. Hoo's in the Forest - also not touched!

4. A jersey for myself - Yay! Finished and has been enjoyed!
I used 8ply Skeinz Vintage in 'Carmine' and knitted a Customfit 'Ayana'
by Amy Herzog. I'm really pleased to have jersey that fits me well. The fit is not perfect (nor is the body under it) but I've learnt heaps and already have another one over half-way done. I loved knitting with this wool and the colour is great, but it's been pilling like mad, so I can't help but be disappointed.

I tried to take a picture of myself in the jersey, but I'm struggling with the 'selfie' pic still, and having a blemish free mirror! And it's mid-winter here so a jersey has to be warm rather than photogenic.

5. Curtains for our Entry Way - yay! Finished these today and they look great!
I had been given a bag of brown curtain trimmings from a friend of my sister's and then mixed it with some matching red, and added a thermal lining, I've made them into warm, stylish curtains.

I started making them before we had our entry way re-wallpapered, and sort of forgot about both having stripes!! Oops! As the room isn't big and the curtains are quite thick I'll probably taken them down between seasons too.

6. Curtains for my Sewing Room - not done yet

7. Ironing Caddy - Finished -yippee!
I used this pattern to make myself a caddy to carry my iron to patchwork group.

The fabric is from 'Button Tree Lane' by Anni Downs (Hatched and Patched). I used proper thermaflec heat resistant fabric which I got through fishpond.co.nz, as well as insul-brite and two layers of cotton batting. I quilted through all layers (except the therma-flec) using a stipple and then quilted all layers on the folding lines with my walking foot.

8. Ballet bags - done!
We have a young ballerina in our house and she needed a bag for her
costume and another bag for her hair 'bits'.

I used a fat quarter of this Kokka ballerina print and matched some yellow dottie with it for her costume bag. This was easy!

But making a hair 'bits' bag was trickier. I used a basic - open wide pouch design - and mixed in some other bag techniques I had learnt to make the side pockets. This linen-mix print for this is also from Kokka.

From the initial photo (below) I used both the left and centre fabrics.

9. Applique Dove - done!!! Yippee!!
Earlier in the year I went to my high school reunion and it has inspired me to have
a go making a mini applique using the technique and base pattern from Sarah Fielke's 'Quilting From Little Things' book.

The finished result... except I used steam-a-seam and raw-edge applique.

Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Firstly here are my goals for the Q2 Finish-a-long at 'On the Windy Side'. I have rather a long list but need the inspiration to get things done!

1. My Double Wedding Ring Quilt in blues for our master bed.
My goal in Q1 was to get the top pieced and I am only two (rather large) seams away from this. It's been a HUGE task, but I'm pleased with how it is coming.

As you can see I chose a blue background (Kona 'Cadet') and it really changed the whole layout. I'm not 100% happy, but it's too late now so hopefully I'll love it when it's quilted and finished - my Q2 challenge!

2. Flats' PlusesThis one has been hanging around for far too long. I need to piece the scraps into a design for the back, then quilt and bind. - Still to complete from Q1!!!

3. Hoo's in the Forest
This
one is even older! I have the main pieced, but need to add final
borders, then piece the background, quilt and bind. I'm being
optimistic here. I do love the colours and hope I'll have some scraps
left.
I made my daughter's plywood tree to match this quilt, so better get this finished before she is too old for both.

4. A jersey for myself
I'm using 8ply Skeinz Vintage in 'Carmine' and knitting a Customfit 'Ayana'
by Amy Herzog. I'm super excited about having a jersey that fits me
well, but just a bit nervous about how careful I was with the measuring. I
just have some finishing, more blocking, then neckline and seaming!
This has been sitting in the 'almost finished/partly blocked phase for a couple of weeks, so once I get my head around the last tricky bit, it should be my first Q2 finish!

5. Curtains for our Entry Way
These are very close to being finished.... I have to just to hem one, the other needs lined. But as winter is very close they need done ASAP!!

6. Curtains for my Sewing Room
I'm using a plain white fabric as a base, then will applique a variety of clothes on to it in the style of Kasja Wikman. It will then be thermal backed and turned into a roman blind.
Needs done soon!

7. Ironing Caddy
I'll use this pattern to make myself a caddy that can be unbuttoned to make an ironing board - just right to take to classes.

8. Ballet bags
We have a young ballerina in our house and she needs a bag for her costume and another bag for her hair 'bits'. For the former I'll go with one like this and for the later I might try and adapt a 'Sew Together bag'.

9. Applique Dove
Recently I went to my high school reunion and it has inspired me to have a go making a mini applique using the technique and base pattern from Sarah Fielke's 'Quilting From Little Things' book.

10. Quilty Mugs
I'm looking forward to Lori Holt's new 'Farm Girl Vintage' but in the meantime I want to make these cocoa cups from 'Quilty Fun' in some assorted Pam Kitty Morning fabric.

11. Flowering SnowballI love 'Mimosa' by Windham Fabrics and want to use it with some Kona 'Coal' to make a Flowering Snowball quilt. I'm keen to try another type of curved piecing.

I'm linking this up to Adrienne's blog for the 'Finish-Along' - and just in the nick of time too!!

Saturday, 21 February 2015

I LOVE Georgie Hallam (Tikki)'s patterns and have slowly been knitting up many of them. I enjoy how each one has extended my knitting skills and produced a range of beautiful garments - all of which have been for either my daughter or one of her dolls! (See here and here and of course a Milo or two). Here are two more...

The dress that K is wearing is Oliver + S's 'Family Reunion' dress in a gorgeous floral from the 'Good Life' range by Deena Rutter for Riley Blake. This has been her go-to 'party' dress and has been well admired, with K automatically replying that 'mum made it'.

And some photos from today...

Over summer I made an 'Elizabeth' cardigan in some Moda Vera 'Sombre' organic cotton that I think was about 5ply (sport) weight. After adjusting the needle size it made an awesome light cardigan that my girl has just started wearing!

This blue cardigan was on my 'Q1 Finish-Along' list as well... so a second finish... yippee!

Oh yes... I have a 10ply 'Bloom' that only needs blocking and tidying, as well as a series of dolls' clothes... will share those soon!

Saturday, 14 February 2015

This quilt was made using a layer cake of Bonnie and Camille's 'Scrumptious' and some Kona snow.

I adapted the pattern 'Square One' from Camille Roskelley's book 'Simplify' which is made using charm squares and Honey Bun strips. I worked out how to get the proportions the same and used almost every piece of my layer cake. There was some nervous cutting... but I do love the result!

It finished at approximately 64" by 76" so it's a very good size for one layer cake. I did swap out some of the white squares for some extra yardage, but the other plain colours that were in the mix really make the blocks work.

I quilted this using a design called 'Cherish' from Christina Cameli's new book 'Step by Step Free Motion Quilting' which I really recommend! I had originally planned to stencil on another design by now know that the free-motion way is so much more 'me'. I even made the quilting a lot more dense than originally intended because I was having so much fun.

The quilt is bound in the multi-coloured print of orange flower discs - seen in the centre of the above two picture. The backing is a co-ordinating Bella solid I had purchased for another project, and turned out to be almost the exact amount needed!

I am absolutely thrilled with this quilt and it must be one of my all-time favourites!

Saturday, 7 February 2015

Today I finished a wall hanging/quilt that wasn't on my list of 'must finishes' but I am very pleased to have it completed as I had started it back in March last year.

I have Lori Holt's fantastic book 'Quilty Fun' and was keen to have a go piecing some of her blocks. I worked out that both the butterfly and flower (head) block could be made from a charm square, so I got out my hoarded 'Marmalade' charm pack.

I purchased some extra yardage of the Bonnie and Camille range to add more leaves, as well as some Kona 'peapod' for the stems and Kona 'snow' for the background.

Then I used my new design wall - made from a piece of flannel hung by map pins - to organise the pieces into a pleasing design. I made 14 butterflies and 14 flowers (three of which had longer stems).

I did the quilting in a freehand stipple and love the effect of it! I'm also super pleased with the red border and love how it works with the floral outer border.

Friday, 9 January 2015

Although it's been ages since I've blogged I have been busy sewing and crafting. Christmas and birthday gifts have kept me busy - as well as a garden that is needing a LOT of attention.

So I thought I'd better share some of my current projects and while I'm at it link them up to a goal setting group.

Firstly here are my goals for the Q1 Finish-a-long at 'On the Windy Side'. I haven't done this before, so I'm being cautiously optimistic about how much will be completed:

1. My Double Wedding Ring Quilt in blues for our master bed.
I've made 100 of the arcs, but think I'll need 168. I have foundation paper pieced them but am using the Creative Grids template to help with the cutting. I still haven't made a decision about the background fabric but am tending towards 'pure' kona white (top centre) as our duvet is the same white (see in background). I would have liked it to match the pillow (here) seen right at the top - but I don't really fancy working with that much linen. There are four other alternatives across the bottom - as well as the Kona 'snow' at the top right. What do you think?
My goal is to get the top pieced in Q1 - I'm not sure whether I'll quilt it myself, so will leave that to later in the year.

2. Scrumptious Layer Cake quilt.
Just two seams on the top, then I need to sew the backing together (purchased) and then quilt and bind. I think I'll do a floral FMQ design using a template I'm keen to try.

3. Flats' PlusesThis one has been hanging around for far too long! I need to piece the scraps into a design for the back, then quilt and bind.

4. Hoo's in the Forest
This one is even older! I have the main pieced, but need to add final borders, then piece the background, quilt and bind. I'm being optimistic here. I do love the colours and hope I'll have some scraps left.
I made my daughter's plywood tree to match this quilt, so better get this finished before she is too old for both.

5. A jersey for myself
I'm using 8ply Skeinz Vintage in 'Carmine' (not available in that colour any more) and knitting a Customfit 'Ayana' by Amy Herzog. I'm super excited about having a jersey that fits me well but just a bit nervous about how careful I was with the measuring. I just have some finishing, blocking, then neckline and seaming! It's high summer here so this won't be a priority.
It's been very quick to knit and I'm keen to try another one for myself when this is finished.

6. An 'Elizabeth' cardigan for my girl.
I'm using up some moda vera cotton and knitting a Tikki pattern. A fun knit - but VERY lacy so may take longer than I originally had thought. At least I should have plenty of yarn as I have 5 balls and had only used one at the point I took this photo.

I quilted this quite intensively - it was the first time I have used pebbles - which definitely take time! A great pattern - I can't wait to make some more of Camille's minis. :-)

But here's a super-quick project...

I had this plate from my late nana's collection and it had a hole in the centre as the handle was missing - you know those plates that are used for high tea with a central handle to hold them by? I used the hole (it was the perfect size) to put a clock mechanism through, and viola! I had a new clock! The mechanism has a hook on the back and a tight screw, so the clock can hang by itself, perfectly safely.

I'm linking this up to Adrienne's blog for the 'Finish-Along' and will also link up to Crazy Mom Quilts because I have actually finished something!

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I love the buzz of a new idea. Be it in the vegetable patch, for the plate, with some glue and scissors, or on the sewing machine. Taking on a new project and seeing (most of) it through to the finish is a big part of my life.